Shades of Denial

10 | In Which a Date is Had

June 30, 2017

Teddy waited nervously at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. Even though Florean Fortescue had been killed by Death Eaters during the Second Wizarding War, the shop had been restored and reopened by some old friends of his. It remained a popular shop in Diagon Alley.

He drummed his fingers on the tabletop and glanced at his watch again. Victoire was ten minutes late. They hadn't seen each other since the Midsummer party and the few letters she'd sent him, arranging this date, had been short and almost cold.

He was filled with a slight panic at the thought that she might be thinking of calling their relationship off.

"Teddy?"

He jumped at the sound of his name and turned to see Victoire approaching. As usual, his breath was taken away. Her shiny blonde hair fell down to her waist, and her pale blue eyes watched him with apprehension. But it wasn't just her physical beauty that blew him away every time. It was the spirit and determination within her, it was the confident way that she carried herself.

"Hey," he said, jumping up to pull her chair out for her. He scooted her in and then sat back down in his chair.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

He frowned. "Why?"

"I've started pushing you away," she replied.

"I noticed."

Victoire bit her lip and looked down.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She took a breath and told him all in a rush what had happened with Molly after the party had ended.

He let out a low whistle. "That's rough. I'm sorry."

"She didn't talk to me at all the next day, either," Victoire said. "She and I have always been able to talk about things."

"Does this have anything to do with why you're pushing me away?" he asked.

She nodded. "I'm worried that this – " She gestured between them. " – will come between us and our family. And I can't have that. You know how important family is in our family. Especially to our parents."

Teddy nodded as he listened.

"If…if this is going to get in the way of family, then…" She sighed. "Then I don't know if it's worth it."

He looked down and bit his lip.

"Your hair is dark blue," she said softly.

"That's because I'm sad," he answered.

"I know."

He drummed his fingers on the table, trying to figure out something to say. He was always bad with words. They sounded good in his head, but whenever he tried to say them they got all jumbled and garbled and didn't sound as good out loud.

"Victoire," he said, surprising her by saying her full name, "I love our family. You know that."

She nodded.

"But…" He sighed. "I really care about you, and I think we might actually have a shot at making this work, make it go all the way, and that's definitely worth it. That's worth anything."

Her eyes widened and his heart rate quickened.

"I know it's hard right now, with us being a secret, but it won't be this way forever," he told her. "I really believe that this can work. But, if you don't…I understand."

Victoire stared at him, her mouth forming a tiny "o". He knew that a million thoughts were probably racing through her head. He felt his hair change and he pulled a lock of it into his view and saw that it turned amber. Anxious was an accurate description of how he was feeling at the moment.

"Toire?" he asked.

"Do you mean it?" she asked.

He blinked. "What?"

"What you just said," she replied. "Everything. All of it. Do you mean it or are you just saying stuff to make me stay with you?"

"Of course I mean it!" he exclaimed. "I wouldn't do that to – "

She stood up and reached across the table, grabbing his collar and pulling him into a passionate kiss. After a few moment, she released him with a smile and a blush.

"So, we're good?" he asked teasingly.

She nodded. "We're definitely good."

HPHPHP

Victoire returned to Shell Cottage in a dizzy dream of happiness. She'd gone to the ice cream parlor with the aim of breaking things off with Teddy, but he'd surprised her. He'd laid his heart out before her and told her how he felt about them. He'd said everything she'd ever dreamed of having a man say to her. She was walking on cloud nine.

"Victoire."

She stopped at the sound of her father's voice. He was sitting in the living room and stood when she approached.

"Hello, Dad," she said with a smile. "How are you?"

"Where have you been?" he asked with a frown.

"I told you," she replied, "I was at Harriet's."

"That's very interesting," he said, "as Ginger and Harriet dropped by an hour ago asking to see you as you haven't hung out all summer."

Victoire's heart dropped into her stomach. "I…"

"I'll ask you again," Bill said. "Where have you been?"

She swallowed and looked down, shaking her head.

"Then you're grounded," he said. "Two weeks."

"What?!" she exclaimed. "You can't do that!"

"Then it's three weeks," he replied.

Victoire balled her hands into fists. "I'm of age. You can't tell me what to do! I don't have to ask your permission to do things anymore, and you can't ground me!"

Bill opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by his wife, who stormed into the living room from the kitchen.

"Victoire Apolline Weasley!" she snapped. "'Ow dare you talk to your fazzer zat way!"

Victoire stared at her in shock. Fleur wasn't the disciplining parent. She usually left Bill to do the scolding.

"You are leeving under our roof, and zerefore you will follow our rules!" she declared. "If you do not like zis, zen you can find somewhere else to leeve! You are, as you said, of age."

Victoire was speechless.

Fleur put her hands on her hips. "Well?"

"I'm sorry," Victoire said. "It won't happen again."

Fleur sniffed in distaste and went back into the kitchen.

Victoire turned to her father, who looked at her with disappointment.

"Three weeks," he told her.

She nodded and went upstairs, her steps heavy. Her dizzy dream was over.